Connects the transmission output shaft with

the rear axle assembly

 Components

• Slip yoke
• Front universal joint
• Drive shaft
• Rear universal joint
• Rear yoke
 Functions
• Sends turning power from the transmission
to the rear axle assembly
• Flexes and allows vertical movement of the
rear axle assembly
• Provides a sliding action to adjust for
changes in driveline length
• Provides smooth power transfer
 Operation

• The transmission output shaft turns the slip

yoke
• The slip yoke turns the front universal joint,
driveshaft, rear universal joint, and rear
yoke on the differential
 Driveline Flex

Universal joints let the driveline flex as the

rear axle moves up and down
 Slip Yoke

• Splined to the transmission output shaft

• Allows for changes in driveline length by
sliding in and out of the transmission
• The outer diameter is machined smooth,
providing a bearing surface for the bushing
and oil seal in the transmission
Slip Yoke
 Drive Shaft
• Hollow steel tube with permanent yokes
welded on each end
• Very strong and light
• Lightweight units may be made of thin-wall
aluminum with longitudinally aligned
graphite fibers for added strength
• May be single-piece, or two-piece
 Drive Shaft

Typical drive shaft assembly

 Drive Shaft Balance

• In high gears, the drive shaft turns at the

same speed as the engine
• The shaft must be accurately balanced
• The shaft is rotated on a balancing machine
at the factory
• Steel balancing weights are welded to the
shaft to reduce vibration
Drive Shaft Balancing Weights
 Vibration Damper

• The drive shaft may be equipped with a

large, ring-shaped weight mounted on
rubber
• Helps keep the shaft turning smoothly by
absorbing torsional vibration
 Universal Joint
• Swivel connection capable of transferring a
turning force between shafts at an angle to
one another
• Made of two Y-shaped yokes, connected by
a cross
• Bearings on each end of the cross allow the
yokes to swing into various angles while
turning
Universal Joint
Types of Universal Joints
Cross-and-Roller
 Cross-and-Roller
• Cardan universal joint
• Most common type of joint
• The bearing caps are held stationary in the
drive shaft yoke
• The roller bearings reduce friction
• The cross is free to rotate inside the caps
and yokes
 Bearing Cap Retention

Several methods are used to retain the

bearing cap in the yoke
Cross-and-Roller Drive Shaft
Assembly
 Constant Velocity Joint

• A cross-and-roller joint tends to accelerate

and decelerate during each revolution,
setting up torsional vibrations
• A constant velocity joint has two cross-and-
roller joints connected by a centering
socket and center yoke
• By using two joints, the output shaft speed
fluctuations are counteracted
 Constant Velocity Joint

Speed changes at the output of the first joint

are offset by speed changes
at the other joint
Constant Velocity Drive Shaft
 Ball-and-Trunnion Joint

• Constant velocity design

• Eliminates shaft speed fluctuations
• Allows for slight length changes in the
driveline
 Center Support Bearing
• Holds the middle of a two-piece drive shaft
• Bolts to the vehicle’s frame or body
• Common on pickup trucks and large
vehicles with long wheel bases
• The rubber mount prevents noise and
vibration from transferring into the
passenger compartment
Center Support Bearing
Center Support Bearing
Two main types—Hotchkiss driveline
and torque
tube driveline
 Hotchkiss Driveline

• An exposed drive shaft operates a rear axle

assembly mounted on springs
• Most common type of driveline
• Universal joints are used at both ends of
the drive shaft
• Cross-and-roller universal joints are most
commonly used
 Torque Tube Driveline

• Uses a solid steel drive shaft enclosed in a

large hollow tube
• Only one swivel joint is used at the front
• The rear of the torque tube is a rigid part of
the rear axle housing
• Used to send power to both the front and rear
axle assemblies in a four-wheel-drive vehicle
• Mounted behind, and driven by, the
transmission
• Two drive shafts run from the transfer case,
one to each drive axle
Transfer Case
Four-Wheel Drive versus All-Wheel
Drive

• Four-wheel drive has a transfer case

separate from the transmission
– drive ranges such as 2H, 4H, and 4L are
provided
• All-wheel drive has the transfer case
included as part of the transaxle
Four-Wheel Drive versus All-Wheel
Drive
 Transfer Case Construction

• Constructed much like a manual

transmission
– uses shift forks, splines, gears, shims, and
bearings
• Made of cast iron or aluminum
• Filled with lubricant (oil) that cuts friction
Transfer Case Construction
 Transfer Case Ranges
• Two-wheel drive, high range (2H)
– normally provides a gear ratio of 1:1
• Four-wheel drive, high range (4H)
– normally provides a gear ratio of 1:1
• Four-wheel drive, low range (4L)
– normally provides a gear ratio of approximately
2:1
Power Flow
 Two-Wheel Drive
(High Range)
• Provided for normal driving when four-
wheel drive is not needed
• Torque flows from the input gear to the
locked planet gears and ring gear, which
rotate as a single unit
• Torque is transferred to the main shaft
through the planet carrier
• Power flows out the rear yoke
 Four-Wheel Drive
(High Range)
• Torque flows through the input gear, the
planet gears, and ring gear as in 2H
• The sliding clutch is shifted into the main
clutch gear
• Torque flows through the drive chain, to
the front output yoke, to drive the front
axle assembly
• Both axles drive the vehicle
 Four-Wheel Drive
(Low Range)
• Torque transfer is almost the same as in 4H
• The ring gear is shifted forward into the
lock plate, holding the ring gear stationary
• The planet gears walk inside the ring gear,
producing a gear reduction
 All-Wheel Drive

• Does not use a conventional transfer case

• Designed for a front-wheel-drive transaxle
or a transmission
• The transmission or transaxle is modified to
allow power flow to the front and rear
drive axles
 All-Wheel Drive

A fluid coupling controls the power split to

the front and rear axle assemblies